The Bennets were a prominent Poyntzpass family of merchants and mill owners in the 1800s. In 1830, the farewell dinner for Dr Nesbitt was held in Bennet’s Inn[1]. The owner was George Bennet, and he sold the inn in February 1836, at which time it was described as “old and established”.
George’s son William Boyd Bennet (1835-1897) lived at the top of Railway Street, opposite the old police barracks. He was a farmer, ran a tannery next to his house (on the site of the saleyard), and owned several mills on the river just west of the village, off the Tannyokey Road. In Slater’s 1881 Commercial Directory, he is listed as the owner of both a corn mill and a scutch mill.
Brushes With The Law
The Bennet family were not strangers to the legal system. Sisters Elizabeth and Jane were found guilty of malicious assault (upon whom is not recorded) at Tandragee Magistrates Court in 1841.
William’s brothers John (1850-1923) and Robert (1839-1883) were linen merchants and manufacturers, and agricultural seed merchants. They shared a house next door to William; it burned down in 1878, and they moved into William’s house. They received £1,362 from their insurance company but were declared bankrupt in February 1879. They were later brought before the bankruptcy court charged with having distributed the proceeds of the fire insurance preferentially to just three creditors.
William and Robert appeared at the Petty Sessions on 9th September 1875, charged with shooting and wounding Daniel Bailie and Patrick Lennon in the recent Poyntzpass riots; both were eventually acquitted.
William died in Belfast on 13 Feb 1897. The probate record states that he held the title of Armagh Baronial High Constable.
Orange Hall
Another brother, businessman and linen merchant John Bennet, who was also Master of Poyntzpass LOL 189, was the principal benefactor of the Orange Hall. He donated the land and some money, and laid the foundation stone on 6th May. It opened with great ceremony on 5th July 1871.
However, more money was still needed, and so on 6th November 1878, a meeting was held in the Manchester Hall, Tandragee where it was announced that the proceeds of the meeting would be devoted to “the liquidation of a debt on the Poyntzpass Orange Hall”.
The Benefactor Sues!
But there was more drama to play out…fast forward to 19th January 1899, almost 30 years after the hall opened. John Bennet was now the Rev. John Bennet, lived far from Poyntzpass and had fallen on hard times. At Ballybot Quarter Sessions, Bennet sued the trustees of Poyntzpass Orange Hall for the recovery of unpaid rent – five shillings a year which (in the years it had been paid) he gave straight back to the Lodge! The trial was rather chaotic and neither party could produce a copy of the lease until the very end of the case.
The judgment was given at the following Quarter Sessions in April, in favour of Bennet, with the judge remarking that he would allow the parties to go to another tribunal if they wished. Bennet was also awarded £1 travel expenses!
Eminent C20 Bennets
Two of the Bennet family were eminent in the 20th century.
Edward Armstrong Bennet (1888-1977) was a Harley Street psychiatrist. He served in the army in WWI, leaving in 1920 with the rank of Brigadier.
His twin brother Capt. John Leslie Bennet (1888-1963) also served in WWI and was one-time head of the British Legion in N Ireland.
The Bennet Diaries
PRONI holds what are collectively known as the Bennet Diaries[1], or the Poyntzpass Diaries (PRONI ref D4648). The actual diary was written by William’s mother, Elizabeth Bennet (1810-1847).
The other journal was written by William’s brother James Ward Bennet (1845-1932) who called it a:
“History of people who lived and died in Poyntzpass and neighbourhood from early years …up to the year 1880 said year I left it with some remarks about them. Also a few country people’s names who were well known to me. And a few other remarks about places etcetera around Poyntzpass.”
These volumes are being transcribed by members of the P&DLHS.
[1] See “The Bennet Diaries” by Michael Anderson, BIF Vol 17, 2022 (not yet available online)
[1] This was probably owned by their father, John Bennet.